Writing Skills Rubric - Wittenberg University



Writing Skills Rubric

| |Unacceptable |Beginning |Competent |Skilled |Exemplary |

| |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |

|Main |Overall position is not |Overall position is evident, |Overall position is clear |Overall position is clear and |Overall position is well |

|Idea/The|evident. Topic as expressed |but often too simplistic. |with a sense of developed |developed. |articulated and thoroughly |

|sis |is superficial or |Topic is also simplistic and |ideas. |Topic is interesting, |developed. Topic is |

| |undeveloped. |one-dimensional. |Topic is interesting |significant, and is engaged |interesting, significant, and|

| | | |and significant, but |from several angles. |intellectually challenging |

| | | |not deeply explored | |with multiple facets |

| | | |in needed areas | |addressed. |

|Argument|No argumentative structure is|Argumentative structure is |Argumentative structure is |Argumentative structure is |Argumentative structure is |

| |evident. |rudimentary. |evident but sometimes |evident. Objections are taken |clearly evident. Objections |

| |Ideas are unconnected. |Claims are repeated rather |simplistic. Objections are |seriously and typically |are taken seriously and |

| | |than developed. Few |addressed but formulaically. |addressed fair-mindedly. |addressed fair-mindedly with |

| | |objections are addressed and | | |great skill. |

| | |may be misrepresented. | | | |

|Evidence|Claims are not supported by |Some claims are supported by |Claims are typically |Claims are almost always |Claims are supported by |

| |reliable evidence from |valid, reliable evidence, but|supported by valid, reliable |supported by valid, reliable |reliable, valid evidence from|

| |credible sources, making the |support is inconsistent, |evidence from credible |sources, so that the paper is |credible sources and |

| |paper unconvincing |making the paper less than |sources, making the paper for|generally convincing. |effectively synthesized in a |

| | |convincing. |the most part convincing. | |very convincing manner. |

|Organiza|Ideas appear unconnected. |The paper is organized, |The introduction provides |The introduction sets the |The introduction skillfully |

|tion |Several paragraphs are |though simplistically. |some context for the paper |context for the paper and |captures reader attention |

| |incoherent, lacking clear |Paragraphs are occasionally |and states a thesis, though |states a clear thesis. Nearly |while establishing the |

| |topic sentences and developed|incoherent, without strong |in a predictable way. |all paragraphs are coherent |context for the paper. All |

| |by restatement; they may |topic sentences and clear |Paragraphs are usually clear |with strong topic sentences, |paragraphs are coherent with |

| |contain irrelevant |development. An introduction|with serviceable topic |developing systematically so |apt topic sentences, |

| |information. Paper shows |and conclusion are attempted |sentences, development, and |that meaning is clear. Main |developed so the meaning is |

| |serious lack of unity and |but are perfunctory or |information. Main points are |points are clear and logically|exceptionally clear and easy |

| |coherence. Introduction |formulaic. The introduction |logically structured. |structured. Transitions |to follow. All the main |

| |and/or conclusion may be |may be overly general and the|Transitions provide |provide a sense of coherence. |ideas are clear and logically|

| |weak, trite, or nonexistent. |conclusion may simply restate|coherence, but may be |The conclusion summarizes the |structured. Transitions |

| | |the thesis. |formulaic. The conclusion |paper and makes some effort to|provide a strong sense of |

| | | |summarizes the paper but does|explore implications and |coherence. The conclusion |

| | | |not explore implications or |significance. |summarizes and explores |

| | | |significance. | |implications and |

| | | | | |significance. |

|Readabil|Awkward phrasing, unskillful |Awkward phrasing, unskillful |Phrasing is generally |Clear phrasing, appropriate |Skillful phrasing, adept |

|ity |or inappropriate voice/tone, |or inappropriate voice/tone, |effective; voice/tone and |management of voice and tone, |management of voice and tone,|

| |and unsophisticated and/or |and unsophisticated and/or |vocabulary are generally |and vocabulary enhance the |and apt word choice create an|

| |imprecise vocabulary hinder |imprecise vocabulary distract|suitable for the paper’s |paper’s ideas. |inviting paper. |

| |understanding. |from the paper’s ideas. |ideas and only occasionally | | |

| | | |work against its ideas. | | |

|Conventi|Numerous errors in grammar, |Several errors in grammar, |Errors in grammar usage, |There are occasional errors in|There are very few or no |

|ons |usage, spelling and |usage, spelling, and |spelling, and punctuation are|grammar, usage, spelling, and |mechanical errors in the |

| |punctuation seriously impede |punctuation distract the |noticeable, but do not |punctuation that do not impede|paper. Documentation of |

| |meaning. Necessary |reader and impede meaning. |seriously impede the reader. |the reader. Documentation of |sources is correct. |

| |documentation is missing. |Problems with needed |Documentation is usually |sources is correct. | |

| | |documentation exist |correct. | | |

|Overall |The writer struggles in |The writer presents a |The writer presents a |The writer presents a |The writer presents a |

|Impressi|constructing and presenting a|significant position that |significant position that is |significant and thoughtful |significant and interesting |

|on |significant position. |falls shy of being |generally convincing, but has|position that is for the most |position that is convincing |

| |Paragraphing and overall |convincing. Overall |some weaknesses. Paragraphs |part convincing. Paragraphs |and thought provoking. |

| |organization hinder |organization and support need|are typically organized and |are well organized and |Paragraphs are skillfully |

| |effectiveness. Ideas are |significant development. |add to the development of |contribute to the development |organized and add to the |

| |asserted rather than |Frequent though not pervasive|ideas. Support is good, but |of ideas. Support is good with|development of ideas. Support|

| |developed or are largely |problems at the |sometimes inadequate. |infrequent weak areas. |is sound with rare or no weak|

| |underdeveloped. Language |sentence-level. Paragraphing |Organization is evident but |Organization is clear. |areas. Sentence-level errors |

| |suffers from distracting |is inconsistent. Marginal |sometimes undeveloped. There |Sentence-level errors are |are rare to non-existent. |

| |errors at the sentence level.|college-level writing. |are occasional but not overly|infrequent. Good college-level|Exemplary college-level |

| |Falls short of college-level | |distracting, sentence-level |writing. |writing. |

| |writing. | |errors. Acceptable | | |

| | | |college-level writing. | | |

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